Adventurer, Olympian team up in town

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Knocked off his bike at a Vancouver intersection, Esrock suffered a broken kneecap but won a $20,000 insurance settlement. With that, he decided it was time for a change. He quit his job and set off on a year-long solo trip around world, seeking backpacking adventures in 24 different countries as a travel writer. En route, he became a global travel expert, authoring The Great Canadian Bucket List and two followup titles.

Escort visits Kamloops later this month to fulfill another bucket-list challenge — riding with an Olympian — while promoting The Great Canadian Prairies Bucket List and The Great Northern Canada Bucket List. Olympic cyclist, Catharine Pendrell teams up with Escort to explore the trails of Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area before she heads out on the “Road to Gold” in Rio this summer. A down-to-earth personality, Pendrell is a genuine ambassador for the local mountain bike community and holds a passion for travel and great destination experiences.

As well, Esrock give a free multimedia talk at The Noble Pig on Thursday, April 28 at 7 p.m.

Esrock spent years visiting every province and territory to discover the one-of-a-kind destinations and activities to thrill visitors and locals alike. His first book, The Great Canadian Bucket List, has been the top-selling Canadian travel book since 2013. The Great Western Canada Bucket List, another bestseller, features iconic local experiences including, exploring the region’s heralded bike routes on a Harley Davidson, enjoying delicious bites at The Noble Pig Brewhouse, which he describes as “one of his favourite pubs in the province,” and experiencing the Adams River salmon run.

Among his adventures:

·Floating in Canada's very own Dead Sea.

·Feeling the hot breath of a wild polar bear.

·Kayaking between icebergs.

·Drinking a cocktail with a severed human toe.

·Crossing the mythical Northwest Passage.

·Spending a night in Ottawa’s haunted prison hotel.

Esrock's stories have been published in over a dozen major publications worldwide. As a travel expert, he has been profiled by 60 Minutes, CNN, MSNBC, Travel+Leisure, CBC, CTV, GlobalTV, Canadian Geographic, and many others. A former columnist for The Globe and Mail, he is also the creator and co-host of the 40-part TV series, Word Travels, seen on OLN in Canada, National Geographic and Travel Channel in more than 21 languages.